Ring cleaning apparatus



Dec. 9, 1969 B. PITTS 3,482,385

RING CLEANING APPARATUS Filed March 6, 1968 INVENTOR. BOBBY L. PITTSF/G.-4- Mam ATTORNEY United States Patent f Int. Cl. D01h 11/00 US. CI.57-57 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for automaticallyremoving accumulated fibers from the traveler on a ring spinning frameby creating an area of differential pressure to suck and remove thefibers from the travelers.

Prior to this invention considerable effort has been expended on methodsand apparatus to clean lint, waste, etc., from the travelers on a ringspinning frame, twisting frame or the like. A number of these methodsinvolved mounting a device in the path of travel of the traveler as itrotates around the ring to physically contact the lint accumulated onthe traveler. These devices, in some instances, performed satisfactorilybut also had some undesirable features. One of the basic undesirablefeatures was that the device had to be critically located with respectto the rotating traveler and in many instances was not properly locatedor was accidentally moved resulting in either not cleaning the travelerat all or being too close to the traveler and being hit, therebybringing the yarn end down and/or causing damage to the traveler.

Therefore it is an object of the invention to provide a traveler cleanerwhich will efficiently clean the traveler without damage thereto.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus to clean thetraveler of a ring spinning frame which does not depend on directphysical contact with the accumulated lint on the traveler.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a means toautomatically and pneumatically clean the accumulated lint on thetraveler of a ring spinning frame.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be clearly apparentas the specification proceeds to describe the invention with referenceto the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic partial perspective view of a ring spinningframe;

FIGURE 2 is a blown-up perspective view of the preferred travelercleaner;

FIGURE 3 is a modification of the traveler cleaner shown in FIGURE 2;and

FIGURE 4 shows a modified method of forming the negative pressurechamber.

Looking now to FIGURE 1 the new and improved traveler cleaner is shownin operative relationship with a conventional spinning frame 11 in whichroving 12 is delivered from roving bobbins 14 to a drafting system 16wherein the fibers are drafted. The drafted fibers are then delivered tothe rotating take-up bobbin 18 through pig tail guide 20 and rotatingtraveler 22. Twist is inserted in the yarn between the nip of the frontrolls 24 and 26 of the drafting system 16 and the rotating traveler 22.Bobbin 18 is mounted on a conventional spindle 28 which is driven by adrive tape (not shown) which contacts the whorl 30.

In the preferred form of the invention shown in detail in FIGURE 2 thetraveler cleaner 10 consists of a ring holder portion 32 and an annularupstanding wall por- Patented Dec. 9, 1969 ice tion 34 which provides anannular chamber 36 between the inside of the wall portion 34 and thering 38 snugly secured in the ring holder portion 32. The traveler 22 issnapped over the flange 40 of the ring 38 and is guided thereby in itsrotary path.

The traveler cleaner 10, preferably, is molded as a unit and has anannular projection 42 molded thereon to engage the bottom of the ringrail 44 when the traveler cleaner 10 is snapped into an annular openingin the ring rail 44. If desired the annular projection 42 can be aseparate member such as snap ring or annular spring which is placedaround the circular portion 46 of the ring holder portion after it isprojected through the annular opening in the ring rail 44.

In operation in conventional manner, the traveler 22 is pulled aroundthe ring 38 by the rotation of the bobbin 18, thereby putting twist inthe yarn between the front drafting rolls 24, 26 and the traveler 22. Asthe traveler 22 rotates around the ring 38 it causes the yarn to form aballoon 48. The centrifugal forces created by the rotation of theballoon in turn pulls air through the opening 50 between the bobbin 18and the traveler cleaner 10. As this air passes over the top of the ringflange 40 and the top of the annular cavity 36 a negative pressure iscreated in the cavity 36 which causes air to be pulled into the cavity36 at points 52 and 54 and pulled out by the action of the centrifugalforces created by the rotation of the balloon 48. It can be readily seenthat any lint or waste which accumulates on the traveler will be suckedoff when the traveler enters the cavity 36 because of the differentialpressure or suction effect created in the cavity by the air flow acrossthe top of the upper wall portion.

It should be noted that the outside side wall of the upper portion 34 ofthe traveler cleaner is tapered outwardly from the top to minimize theaccumulation of lint, etc., thereon.

Looking now to FIGURE 3 a modified traveler cleaner is shown. Theprinciple of operation of FIGURE 3 is substantially the same as that ofFIGURES 1 and 2 except instead of the upper wall portion being in onecontinuous piece to form one continuous differential pressure cavity,the upper wall portion is composed of a plurality of members 56 forminga plurality of cavities 58. Each of these cavities perform in a mannersimilar to cavity 36 in that lint, etc., on the traveler will be cleanedtherefrom because of the suction effect created in the cavities 58.

FIGURE 4 shows a further modification of FIGURES 1 and 2 which also canbe applied to the modification of FIGURE 3. Rather than have the upperannular wall members integral with the ring holder, holes 60 can bedrilled or otherwise formed in the top surface of the ring holder andpegs 62 formed on the bottom of the upper annular wall member whichconform to the size of the holes formed in the ring holder.

Looking at the above disclosure it can readily be seen that the hereindisclosed traveler cleaner cleans the traveler without actuallycontacting the traveler. Furthermore, once the disclose-d travelercleaner is properly installed there is nothing attached thereto whichcan be accidentally dislodged by an operator to cause a malfunction.Also, it is readily obvious that the herein disclosed traveler cleaneris relatively simple to fabricate or mold at a nominal price.

That which is claimed is:

1. Apparatus to clean lint from a traveler on a ring and traveler framecomprising: a ring holder having openings in the upper surface thereof,a ring secured in said holder, a traveler operably associated with saidring and means separate from said holder surrounding a portion of said.ring to form a chamber therebetween and having projections on the bottomthereof projecting into said openings in said ring holder to therebyhold said means in proper position.

2. A ring and traveler textile frame comprising: a frame, a ring rail insaid frame, a ring holder projecting through an opening in said ringrail, a ring mounted in said ring holder, a traveler operably associatedwith said ring, an upstanding annular Wall member integral with saidring holder and surrounding a portion of said ring and spaced therefromto form a chamber therebetween and locking means operably associatedwith said ring holder to hold said ring holder in position in said ringrail.

3. The structure of claim 2 wherein said locking means is integral withsaid ring holder.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 4/1884 Jaquith 5757 2/ 1907Hayden 5757 XR 2/1928 White 57-121 5/1932 Stuart 57121 3/1957 Francis5757 5/1960 Wayson 57-56 10/1962 Backus 57119 FOREIGN PATENTS 3/1905Germany.

4/1951 Germany.

1/ 1956 Germany.

DONALD E. WATKINS, Primary Examiner

